No, I’m sure Michael Bloomberg is drugfree (wink). The truth is we (Hewmour Catering) received a request to cater for an event from the Mayor (Michael R. Bloomberg) of the City of New York. This was my honor, but to hear him give a shout out to our catering company (Hewmour Catering) in front of 500 guests was super dope! So glad he didn’t mispronounced the company’s name.

Catering for any events, big or small, has always been stressful especially on the day of. What if something terrible happened in the kitchen, what if I got sick on that day, and most importantly, what if our guests HATE our food? The list goes on. But for this particular event, we were more than confident. We had done a tasting with the chef of the Gracie Mansion prior to the event. He loves all the hors d’oeuvres we made, but the clear winner is the balsamic mushrooms baked in wonton skin cups! Mushrooms have an earthy flavor, especially when cooked with other fresh herbs. I love mushrooms and to add a bit texture to it, we decided to put the delicious mushrooms goodness in crunchy baked wonton skin cups. Mmm…tastes like heaven!

Bloomberg loved it tonight and that alone makes me a very happy person! I am proud to share this recipe with my loyal readers. Want to impress someone on your next party? Try this, email me for directions!

Ingredients:

Portobello Mushrooms
Yellow Zuchinni
onion
garlic
rosemary
basil
thyme
tomato paste
Parsley
Lemon zest and its juice
Reduced fig or regular balsamic
Salt & Pepper to taste

Wonton Skin – cut into a round shape that fits in a small muffin pan

Women’s Mafia TALENT profile of Samantha Hew

“I am having an emotional affair with my ex, well we’re just talking again, does that count as cheating? Do I have to tell Jon about this?” said one of my friends, let’s call him Tom. “I got my heart broken once again, he’s a lying whore!” said a new friend. “I loooove my single life”, said Tom’s coworker. “Ooooo I have someone for you Sam darlin, he’s rich and completely straight, you’ll love him!” Tom added. “Stop! Eeehh, can we order food 1st, I can’t eat after 7, I’m on a diet”, I interrupted.

Dining with 3 men who love nothing less than a man was an endless trip! I met Tom through a good friend of mine years ago. Tom is the typical handsome super-model-looking-male living in Chelsea, works in a high end fashion company, dated all the famous and rich in the industry, which I promised not to repeat EVER. Both men and women wouldn’t forget his face, not to mention he’s a sweetheart and extremely sensitive, which I see as a quality I am lacking.

We decided to have dinner last night at Cafe Katja, an Austro-Hungarian joint in LES (79 Orchard Street) which serves delicious pork belly sandwiches, and is one of my favorite restaurants! The menu is small and simple. The owner is friendly and attentive. The place fits about 25 bodies, but warm and cozy. I again ordered the pork belly sandwich. It didn’t disappoint me, the same tasty juicy sandwich melted in my mouth like the very first time. Go Katja! I recommend this place if you’re a meat lover and an imported beer drinker. The price is reasonable so go on and give Katja a try. As for Tom and his G-tribe, more details of the stories were shared. In conclusion, the only happy “thing” walking out of Katja was my belly.

Cafe Katja

Women’s Mafia TALENT profile of Samantha Hew

“Pancakes with bacon and syrup??? Eww!” And so begins the story my friend explains as her Pancake Revolution. It continues in her own words..

The American shows and films I had watched told me this was a reality and a staple but until it was my turn to sample the dish on my arrival in NY, I had never really given it much thought. And when I did, it was, “Eww!” She had her first bite of her early morning breakfast after a drunken night on the town and then wolfed the rest down. Her addiction was complete.

Soon she needed more. She would whip up pancakes at all hours of the day experimenting with onions in the batter, cream cheese on the pancake, salmon as a topping, pancakes with nuts, pancakes with chocolate. She fell in love with a boy, she cooked him pancakes, her heart was broken, she cooked herself more pancakes. They fed and sustained her in more than just the physical. They loved her and they healed her.

She would tell a few others about how they could improve their pancakes in simple ways.. “Onions in pancakes??” And always after a moments reflection; “Hmmm, onions in pancakes..” And then after a few more moments thought; “I want those pancakes.”

The original response of “you’re messing with a staple” would soon be followed by “you need to tell people about this. Hell, you need to make people this.”

A year after her first syrupy bacony pancake enlightenment, a piece of cardboard was utilized in a flow of inspiration and 13 of her favorite recipes were downloaded in the form of a menu. She showed it to me the same day and I knew before I opened it that The Pancake Shop that I was introduced to on the front promised that what was inside was the real thing. We high-fived and our partnership was sealed.

Small steps and high hopes and no expectations are the recipe. From a kitchen in Park Slope, The Pancake Shop has officially been born. Home deliveries today, perhaps a food truck tomorrow. Making people happy is the goal. And today our first customer has helped us achieve that.

And today’s blog that began as a story of passion’s natural path will end on a note of a marketing nature. Find out more about pancake love here: thepancakeshop.weebly.com

Women’s Mafia TALENT profile of Samantha Hew